Tender Loving Care
by thecosmicwind
Summary: A slightly different take on the bit from 'Perverted' where Elliot looks after a sick Olivia. All she needs is some tender loving care, and that's what Elliot provides. Cute little fluffy one-shot. Rated T.


**Hey guys!**

 **I'm back with a new one-shot. Based on the bit in Perverted where Elliot comes over and looks after Olivia for a bit. It's been altered; the whole 'Olivia framed for murder' thing hasn't happened. Elliot and Kathy are no longer together but the kids still exist. Just a cute little fluffy story.**

 **Enjoy xoxo**

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 **Tender Loving Care [ONESHOT]**

Then modern, fourth floor apartment in the midtown complex was silent for the most part. There was the drip from the faucet that was always present, the ticking of the clock on the wall, the dull hum of the central air and heating unit – on which the heat was in full gear, the faint whir of the modern, stainless steel refrigerator, the faint sound of the television show that was playing on the TV; those were the only sounds to be heard within the apartment. Of course, there were the odd sounds being heard beyond the walls of the apartment – the sirens and whizzing and beeping horns of cars and emergency response vehicles that filtered through the streets of New York City, the bangs and few yells of some neighbors from the apartments on either side. Other than that, things were quiet, until-

 _Achoo!_

A sneeze echoed throughout the living room. In the modern themed room, tucked up on the couch under a fluffy blanket and dressed in pajama bottoms, a large hoodie, and fluffy socks, was the brunette detective that had been suffering all weekend.

Olivia Benson hated being ill with a passion. She hated feeling like she couldn't breathe, she hated shaking with chills whilst sweating, she hated coughing so hard that her chest actually ached, she hated that her cheeks and nose were flushed red from the fever and that the rest of her normal olive skin tone was ghostly pale. Most of all, she hated being forced to take days off from the job that she lived and breathed. That's what ended up happening a couple days earlier, on the Friday. She had been really started feeling sick on Tuesday but brushed it off as something that would pass. Wednesday, she had grown increasingly congested to the point where her colleagues were concerned, and by Thursday, she was feeling so rundown that she almost fainted during an interrogation, which resulted in Cragen ordering her to go home and take the night off.

And now here she was, Friday morning, laying on the couch again after being ordered to take the weekend and possibly Monday as well. Cragen had earlier in the morning, and despite her trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible, Cragen had seen right through her charade and told her to stay home for a few more days until she felt better.

She felt like crap. _"I could be out busting a perp, yet here I am dying in bed; fuck."_ She thought to herself, rolling her eyes as she snuggled under the blankets.

A knock at her apartment door captured her attention, causing a perplexed expression to appear across her face. She was half tempted to ignore it, but when the knocking was heard again, she simply grumbled and dragged herself off of the sofa. She grabbed a tissue as she stood up, wiping her nose before checking the peephole. Despite how ill she was, she couldn't help but smile when she saw who it was.

Elliot – her partner, her best friend, her _everything._

She undid the locks and opened the door, giving him a head nod and a quiet; "Hey" as she stepped aside to let him in.

"You look terrible." He joked, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her lips.

"Enough with the sweet talk," she sat herself on the arm of the sofa, "What are you doing here, anyway?" She glanced at the clock on the stove, which indicated that it was just past noon; "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I got bored and it's a slow day, so I'm taking a break," he leaned towards her, only to stop when she backed up a bit, "What?"

"Sweetheart, I'm sick; I don't want you to get sick too." She grabbed hold of his hands, lacing her fingers through his. She would hate for him to get sick from kissing her, but it seemed that he didn't care as he leaned towards her, quickly stealing a kiss before she could prevent him from doing so.

"You being sick will not stop me from kissing you," he pulled her to her feet, "Speaking of which, have you seen a doctor?"

"No; it's just a bug." She replied as she sat down on the sofa again. He rolled his eyes as he removed his coat and draped it over the back of the sofa.

"The swine flu is just a bug, though I'm thinking you got this from Eli when you were looking after him last week while I worked late," he raised an eyebrow as he urged her to lay down, "By the way, Fin wanted to know if you had the file for the Van Woodsen case? Cap said they had a new lead; Fin and Munch are gonna handle it."

"It's in my desk, in…uh…somewhere," she groaned, smacking her palm against her forehead, "Fuck knows; it's either in my desk or it's in the file room; I put it somewhere because the case had run cold and we ran out of leads; I'm thinking it's in my desk." She maneuvered herself to lay down as she talked, and Elliot grabbed her blanket to drape over her.

"I'll figure it out and find it, you rest," he told her as he tucked the blankets around her, "Do you need anything?"

"No – I'm fine."

"Let me make sure you are," he pressed a hand to her forehead; she rolled her eyes, "You're burning up." He then moved away from her, making his way towards her kitchen area whilst rolling his sleeves up.

"A hundred and one, babe; down from one-oh-two last night – I'm on the mend." She told him, glancing in his direction before focusing her gaze back on the television in the corner of the lounge area. He glanced back at her before pottering around the kitchen.

"I'm gonna make you some tea." He continued pottering around, filling the kettle with water before placing it on one of the rings on the stove top and turning the correct switch. He glanced over at her, a soft smile on his lips as he took this moment to gaze at her whilst she wasn't paying attention.

No matter how ill she was, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world – not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. He sighed slightly, thinking about how he supported him and his children after his wife of over twenty years simply up and left them shortly after the birth of their fifth child, nearly two years ago. Olivia had come over as soon as he called and held all of the children – including his son – who cried and wondered why their mother left with nothing more than a goodbye. Little Eli was too little to understand why she had gone and eventually, with Olivia already having such a bond with him considering she helped deliver him and with her being around him constantly, he naturally started calling her _'Mama'_ one day, which was to be expected really. Olivia had felt a little awkward at first, but she simply took it in stride as really, she had become a mother to all his children. Despite not living at the Stabler family home, she was constantly there to help with anything, or going to the children's extracurricular events at their schools. Eli had recently started calling her _'Mama Liv'_ instead, which warmed Elliot's heart as he loved how close his youngest son – and all of his children – were to the woman that was in his heart.

Despite being blindsided and hurt by Kathy leaving, Elliot realized in hindsight that it had been the best thing to happen. He and Kathy had stopped loving each other along time ago, but were drawn to each other due to comfortability, and later obligation when Kathy fell pregnant with Eli. He had never been able to be fully true to himself due to obligations for his family. He had fallen in love with someone else a _long_ time ago; probably within the months of them working together. The fierce, protective, passionate brunette partner of his was the one that drove him crazy of course, but he wanted her – he had always wanted her. He connected with her more than he had ever connected with anyone; she became his confidante and best friend – his everything. Her heart was so pure and golden and full of fire and determination, and being matched with his equally strong, fiery spirit, they were a match. After Kathy left, he took a little while – well, a long while – to get himself together and get into a good groove with the kids. He and Olivia grew closer over the course of a year and a half; everything was fine.

And then finally, six months ago, he and Olivia agreed to give things a shot. Now here they were, falling more and more in love every single day.

He sighed to himself as he heard the kettle began to whistle; the sound bringing him from the thoughts he slipped into. He poured the mug of tea and began stirring some sugar, honey, and lemon around with one hand, whilst opening the refrigerator with the other. His eyes widened when he noticed the bare shelves, sans some orange juice, packets of soy sauce, and a carton of Lo Mein that was just about finished.

"You have absolutely no food in this house." He remarked as he turned around to face her whilst placing the cup of tea on bar top counter. She scoffed, keeping the blanket draped over as she made her way over to him.

"They invented this great thing; it's called _delivery._ " She smirked. She sat herself down on one of the stools, thanking him for her tea before taking a sip. He continued to potter around, before picking up some travel brochures that were resting on her counter.

"Planning a tropical getaway?" he teased, leaning his elbows on the surface as he eyed her.

"A girl can dream, can't she?" she snatched the brochures from his hand, "Stop snooping."

"You wouldn't plan a getaway without me anyway," he reached over and tapped her nose; "As soon as we can take some time off, me and you and the kids are going on a tropical getaway."

"You're saying that now; watch some influx of cases roll in over the course of the next few weeks." She chuckled a bit before taking a sip of her tea, humming a bit as the warm liquid ran down her throat. She could feel Elliot's gaze on her, leading her to flick her own gaze from the surface of her counter to him. She felt her heart rate increase as she gazed into those cobalt blue eyes that she loved so much.

"What?"

"I didn't know I needed a reason to stare at my girlfriend," he reached over, stroking a bit of hair behind her ear, "Come on, let's get you into bed."

"Will you lay with me for a bit?" she pouted in the most adorable manner, her brown orbs shimmering as she stared back at him. He chuckled, nodding his head as he came around to the other side of the counter. He twirled her around and helped her to stand, before holding onto her as he led her through to her bedroom. He helped her to lay down first, before removing his shoes and laying down with her. He snaked a strong arm around her waist whilst she snuggled closer, resting her head on his chest.

"Are you hungry? I can go get you some soup or something before I go back to work." He murmured, his lips brushing against her hair before he placed a delicate kiss to the crown of her head

"I'm not hungry." She whispered before letting out a yawn, feeling her eyes grow heavier and heavier. She was felt so comfortable, snuggled under the blankets and having her strong, protective boyfriend laying beside her with his arm around her waist.

"You need to eat, baby."

"I'll eat later; I'm not hungry right now, babe," she squeezed him as she closed her eyes, "I'm tired though; I want a nap."

"I'll hold you till you go to sleep, then I'm going to get some food for your fridge before I go back to work." He told her. She didn't have the energy to protest; she simply nodded her head before snuggling into him even more. He chuckled softly, placing a kiss onto her head yet again before wrapping his other arm around her, holding her in his protective arms whilst she began slowly drifting off yet again.

He waited for a further twenty minutes, simply losing himself in his thoughts regarding her as he held her. Her breathing had become slow and even, indicating that she had indeed fallen asleep. He squeezed her a little tighter then kissed her head again, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he relaxed with her.

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Olivia awoke a few hours later, having launched into a coughing fit that left her chest hurting due to the force of such and left her feeling miserable. She whimpered as she plopped back down onto the bed, only to groan when she realized her throat was once again feeling like there were shards of broken glass on there and she had a feeling her fever was still present, considering the fact she was still freezing cold. She hated being sick; absolutely hated it with a passion.

Deciding that she wanted something to drink, she pulled herself out of bed. She grabbed her fluffy blanket and kept it draped over her before wandering through to the kitchen area. The clock on the stove indicated that it was just after six, meaning that Olivia had slept for quite a while, though she still felt quite tired. She yawned as she pulled her refrigerator open, only to blink and widen her eyes when she noticed its contents. Instead of nearly bare shelves that were littered with a bit of leftover Chinese and some soy sauce packets and orange juice, she now had a fresh carton or orange juice, some milk, some bottles of water, as well as some vegetables and fruits. She opened the freezer portion, smiling as she saw some frozen stuff as well; chicken breast, meatballs, sausages, and some ice cream. She then moved to open her cupboards, smirking when she noticed the cans of soup, the boxes of pasta, some seasonings, and a few other snacks.

She chuckled a bit, shaking her head in despair. Elliot had been serious about stocking her up with food, and she loved him for it.

Just as she was returning her attention to the refrigerator to get some orange juice, she heard some keys jingling. She glanced towards the door as the locks clicked and the door began to open, a soft smile on her lips when she saw the strong man wandering through whilst humming to himself and carrying another shopping bag in his hand. When he looked up and saw her, he smiled straight away.

"Hey baby; you okay?" he wondered, putting the bag down onto the counter. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him before kissing her cheek then her lips. She groaned slightly at the feel of his soft lips pressed against her own, before pulling away and looking up at him whilst she held onto his biceps.

"I'm fine, babe; I promise," she stroked her hands up and down his strong arms, "What are you doing here though? Where are the kids?"

"Kids are spending the weekend with my sister in Jersey, so it's just us," he leaned down to kiss her forehead, keeping his hands on her hips; "Do you need anything? Want something to eat?"

"Just because I know you'll roll your eyes if I say no and because I do need to eat, I'll take some chicken noodle soup, please." She smirked. He let out a single hard chuckle, nodding his head before unraveling his arms from around her. He then patted her bum, leading her to wink at him before then heading over to the sofa to lay down and watch television.

It was some minutes later when Elliot joined with a tray in his arms, which held a steaming mug of tea along with the rather large bowl of chicken noddle soup. He sat the tray down in her lap before sitting beside her with his arm draped across the back of her sofa. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, quietly thanking him before tucking into the liquid like meal which was almost the best thing she'd had all day as it was really the first thing she had been able to eat.

The two relaxed in silence; Elliot nursed a beer and kept his arm around her whilst she ate her soup and drank her tea. The two were at a point where they could simply relax together without having to make conversation to fill the silence. The silence wasn't awkward in the slightest; it was comfortable. _They_ were comfortable. They enjoyed each other's company more so than they already did, and that was the beautiful thing about their relationship. Olivia moved a little closer at one point, so their thighs were touching; Elliot wrapped his arm tighter around her and stroked his hand up and down the hoodie clad skin of her arm. They were watching some random romance movie together; Olivia was a little more into it than Elliot was, and Elliot was just enjoying the time with his girlfriend.

After she finished her tea and soup, Elliot took the tray over to the kitchen area whilst Olivia pulled the blanket over her yet again. She still felt pretty rough, but with Elliot there looking after her, she didn't feel completely like death. She watched him as he washed the dishes she had used, her heart fluttering at how normal this felt. Suddenly it just felt very much like this could be a look into her future, and whilst something like that would normally scare her, with Elliot it did not.

He came back over with some cough medicine and a bottle of water some moments later, giving her a stern look when she screwed her face up. She gulped down the disgusting tasting liquid before taking the bottle of water, screwing the cap off quickly and taking a swig to rid her mouth of the awful aftertaste. Elliot chuckled moving to lay down on the sofa, pulling her to lay with him. He wrapped his arms tight around her, stroking his hand up and down her back whilst she snuggled into his chest. She kissed the sliver that peeped from under the shirt he was wearing, due to having the few top buttons of his shirt undone which gave her a peek at the muscular chest underneath. He ran his fingers through her brunette locks before pressing a kiss to the crown of her head once again.

They chatted quietly every now and then, shared a few kisses every now and then. Elliot had gotten up at one point and turned the lights off; the only light now being the glow from the television as they had begun watching a show now. He laid himself back down with her again and she pulled the blanket over them both, before once again snuggling into his chest. She felt safe and warm in his arms; she _always_ felt safe in his arms.

The change in her breathing caught Elliot's attention about half an hour later. He looked down to see that she had once again fallen asleep, her breathing slow and even as she relaxed. He pulled the covers over them some more and kissed her head, whispering the sweetest words of love to her as he did whenever he had her in his arms. Despite being sick, she was so beautiful. Her cheeks were rosy due to being flushed of course, yet she still looked beautiful. _She_ was just beautiful, and he had to pinch himself because he felt so lucky. After all this time, she was finally his. He finally got to have nights where he could relax with her in his arms, and after six months, he still was thanking God for having her in his life.

He stroked her arm as she mumbled something inaudible whilst snuggling into him again. He chuckled a bit and kissed her forehead once more, before closing his eyes, allowing sleep to take over whilst the television continued to play softly in the background, casting a dim glow on the most beautiful couple resting on the sofa.

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 _ **Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed this. Leave some reviews and all that; I love you all! Until next time... xoxo**_


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